Insufficient safety equipment, such as flares, incurred the largest number of fines in NSW’s Operation Blue Water last February.

Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) acting general manager Boating Operations, Scott Kidd said 628 vessels were randomly checked during the operation which ran from February 11 to 24.

"A total of 33 penalty notices and 26 formal warnings were issued, with 11 penalty notices issued for not carrying the required safety equipment for boating offshore," said Kidd. "There were seven fines issued during the campaign for not wearing lifejackets when legally required to do so, and six fines issued for not carrying sufficient lifejackets for the number of people onboard."

RMS Boating Safety Officers also found several people boating offshore in the Sydney region had difficulties putting on a lifejacket when asked to do so.

"It is crucial everyone onboard a boat knows how to quickly and easily put on a lifejacket," says Kidd. "A lifejacket cannot save your life unless you are wearing one."